Vehicles longer than 24 feet (RV or vehicle + trailer) are NOT permitted on the scenic drive beyond the campground. [13], The Chiricahua Mountains are a bio-diverse area which is composed of numerous sky islands. The trail begins at the end of the Sycamore campsites off a spur from Turkey Creek Road. From point 8,700, I proceeded south a half-mile to the Chiricahua Saddle, elevation 9,100 feet. The Chiricahua Mountains dominate southeast Arizona. 9.32 mi / 3143 ft gain I wasn't keen on battling this for another five miles, so I abandoned the hike and returned to my truck. I salvaged the day with a drive up the Coronado Highway and a visit to the Greenlee County Highpoint, plus a speeding ticket. I arrived back to my truck at 2 p.m. It is flat for a few hundred yards, then swings left, where a sign mentions the distance to the peak as 5 miles. Sugarloaf Peak After gathering my gear and talking with some guy camping, I hit the trail. Chiricahua Peak is the highest peak of the range, but not that obvious from down below. Purchase one for $3,495 or all three for $9,000. There are other sites in Turkey Creek and along Rucker Canyon Road. The blast sent prodigious amounts of ash into the air. The best times to visit this trail are March through November. Chiricahua Mountains The road segment to Long Park is rough, needing 4-wheel drive, but I took it slow and we arrived at Long Park in cool, clear conditions. Southeast Arizona, and Chiricahua in particular, is a premier birding area of the country. After hiking the steep switchbacks, the trail converged with the upper Mormon trail, meeting at an elevation of 8,700 feet. Then it moves back into a burn area as you make your last climb to the top. I hiked a mile in soft snow, but the snow was up to my hips. From Chiricahua Peak, we returned to the Crest Trail, then hiked in a southwesterly direction along the trail to Monte Vista Peak (9,340 feet). It's not well-signed, but a map should tell you you're on the right path.For the Turkey Creek/Mormon Creek approach, leave I-10 at exit 331 and travel south on US-191 to the community of Sunizona. This 1,910 square foot home, which was built in 2003, sits on a 0.16 acre lot. Of note is that perhaps the last remaining jaguar in the United States is found here, a male named Sombra by wildlife officials. I make my way through the burned forest Numerous peaks above 9,000 feet are found in the range. Geological history of the Chiricahua Mountains, "Coronado National Forest Chiricahua Wilderness", "Arizona Memory Project: Compound Object Viewer", "Chiricahua National Monument Historic Designed Landscape: Landscape Architecture Month: National Register of Historic Places Official Website--Part of the National Park Service", "Border Crackdowns and the Battle for Arizona", "CVO Website Arizona Volcanoes and Volcanics", "Hilltop Mine (Hand Mine; Kasper tunnel; Gray Mine; Dunn shaft; Blacksmith shaft; Rhem adit), Rustler Park, California District, Chiricahua Mts, Cochise Co., Arizona, USA", "Sky Islands of North America: A globally unique and threatened inland archipelago", "Audubon: Birds & Science [-109.28, 31.9057] Chiricahua Mountains, Coronado National Forest", "The mission to return jaguars to the US: 'We aren't right without them', "Southwestern Research Station | American Museum Natural History", "Winter Views of the Eastern Chiricahuas The Firefly Forest", The Nature Explorers Chiricahua Expedition, Chiricahua Peak Summit, trails, mountainzone.com, (coord), Map of Chiricahua and Dos Cabezas Mountains, Chiricahua Peloncillo Historical Society, Chiricahuas: Mountain Islands in the Desert (1998), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chiricahua_Mountains&oldid=1134366760, Mountain ranges of Cochise County, Arizona, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 January 2023, at 09:36. Originally a nomadic people, they faced severe pressures from settlers and an expansionist U.S. government in the second half of the 19th century. Tourism in Southern Africa is synonymous with the wildlife safari. Arizona But just before the monument entrance, turn right at a signed junction (Pinery Canyon) and then follow a good, if steep, dirt road up into the mountains to the Rustler Park campgrounds. For the first time I had an actual view of the peaks above me, although Chiricahua's summit was still hidden by trees. I salvaged the day with a drive up the Coronado Highway and a visit to the Greenlee County Highpoint, plus a speeding ticket. Trails ranging from short nature walks to long loops are available, intermingling with the amazing spires.The mountains are named after the Chiricahua Apache Indians that lived in the area. The hike down was quick, although the loose rocks were more treacherous as I moved downhill. Later that afternoon, we made another 3-mile hike to the Fort Bowie National Historic Site, where the Army set up camp to help fight the Apache Wars against Cochise and Geronimo. (29), Comments There aren't any views from the summit, unfortunately. I was back home just in time to catch The Simpsons on TV. The exit took 90 minutes, and our hike had required just 4 hours. The other notable attraction in these mountains is the Chiricahua National Monument, which features thousands of spires and "hoodoos", formed by the erosion of the tuff that resulted from the eruption. Discover 2,831 listings of land for sale, 1 - 10 acres, under $25K. Date: November 9, 2003 Crossing these obstacles was easy at first, but soon, especially on the final approach heading south of the saddle to the peak, the quantity of deadfall was enormous. The prominant species include manzanita, Arizona Sycamore, alligator juniper, oaks, pines, Arizona cypress, madrone, and acacia. We chose to approach the peak via the Crest Trail, with Rustler Park as our first choice but also keeping our options open depending on road conditions and other factors. Home. Chiricahua Peak is the highest peak of the range, but not that obvious from down below. The day was clear and brilliant, with 200-mile views in some directions, or five-foot views into the trees. It was so nice, I laid in the bed of my truck and took a catnap for a half-hour before packing up, changing into dry clothes and proceeding home. wellerr@cochise.edu. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 6 h 3 min to complete. We spent a little more time here, trying to see things from various points around the summit area. I went in February after a month-long dry spell and encountered just patches of snow and ice near the top. There is one stretch of this, once you climb out of the canyon and traverse along the first big switchback, that is back into old forest like you expect from Southern Arizona's island ranges. I tried to go underneath as often as I could, preferring not to touch or put any weight on these massive logs. the views are amazing. Chiricahua Mountains The creek itself had running water down low, fed by springs. It is the highest summit in the Chiricahua Mountains and the highest point in Cochise County. Visit the Faraway Ranch Historic District to discover more about the people who have called this area home. After another three-quarters of a mile, it crossed the creek bed, then paralled up the left side for another 1.5 miles. The Chiricahua Peak quadrangle includes the crest of the Chiricahua Mountains and offers unusual ecologic diversity that ranges from Sonoran desert through . Web Visit website. Our "hunt" had been a success. A hike up Chiricahua will give you the county highpoint of Cochise County and one of the 57 "Ultra" prominent peaks in the lower-48 states, with over 5,000 . The most popular route comes in from the north via Rustler Park campground, high on the main range crest. Very slow going when you have to crawl under, and over all the fallen trees. See my trip report on PeakBagger: https://peakbagger.com/climber/ascent.aspx?aid=1279987, View Chiricahua Peak Image Gallery - 24 Images. They had come up the upper Mormon Creek trail and they mentioned there were good views along this route. Learn more about Faraway Ranch. Chiricahua Peak Via Mormon Canyon Trail. Chiricahua Peak is the highest peak of the range, but not that obvious from down below. We returned along the Crest Trail, and while en route back to Long Park we also ascended Paint Rock (9,375 feet .   The summit is marked by a benchmark in a boulder situated at the base of a large tree. I stayed 15 minutes at the top. Much of current-day Cochise County had been formed into an Indian Reservation, but new settlers thought the area could be better put to use, e.g. The summit is marked by a benchmark in a boulder situated at the base of a large tree. The hike starts within the Chiricahua National Monument so obey any rules there but the actual peak lies outside the Monument; see map below. Then the trail parallelled the creek on the right as one faces uphill. The views are really good now of course, as all the tress that were there, are gone. Main I followed Turkey Creek Road into the range to the Mormon Creek trailhead area. The ArizonaMountains Gazetteer Want to report conditions for this trail? There aren't any views from the summit, unfortunately. Teammates: So here it was, a month later. The northwest end of the Chiricahua mountains continue as the Dos Cabezas Mountains beyond Apache Pass and the Fort Bowie National Historic Site. Scrambling through hundreds of trees on their sides is quite difficult, the tangle of logs and branches nearly impenetrable. The Chiricahua Mountains are located in southeast Arizona in Cochise County and the summit, Chiricahua Peak, is the highest point of the county and one of just 57 "Ultra" prominent peaks in the lower-48 states, with over 5,000 feet of prominence above the desert floors. Chiricahua National Monument has a great variety of trees and shrubs. The weather was breezy but nice, with temperaturess around 50. The range is a result of a massive volcanic event, the Turkey Creek eruption, from 27 million years ago. The Chiricahua Mountains massif is a large mountain range in southeastern Arizona which is part of the Basin and Range province of the west and southwestern United States and northwest Mexico; the range is part of the Coronado National Forest. Part of the range lies within the 87,700-acre (35,500ha) Chiricahua Wilderness, managed by the Coronado National Forest. Plan to run but the trail is a bit overgrown and hard to find, so only run part of the downhill. Chiricahua Peak to Monte Vista Peak Loop is a loop trail that provides a good opportunity to view wildlife located near Elfrida, Arizona. I tried to go underneath as often as I could, preferring not to touch or put any weight on these massive logs. Later that afternoon, we made another 3-mile hike to the Fort Bowie National Historic Site, where the Army set up camp to help fight the Apache Wars against Cochise and Geronimo. I know of no special fees other than the normal campsite fees. If I could get us there, our hike would be relatively short. The trail leads through some pretty meadows. As with the rest of the Chiricahua Mountains, the peak was formed as the result of a violent volcanic . It is the highest summit in the Chiricahua Mountains and the highest point in Cochise County. The mountains and the eponymous highpoint get their name from the Chiricahua band of Apache Indians, who lived and roamed these lands for centuries before becoming part of the United States after the Gadsden Purchase in 1854. The highest portions of the range are rounded summits while lower down, the range is surrounded by interesting gardens of hoodoos and spires, best exemplified by the Chiricahua National Monument, an area of fascinating rock spires and hoodoos, and well worth a visit. Our programs are fun, informative, and free! We met another group back at my truck at Long Park. Browse Map. . If I could get us there, our hike would be relatively short. I met with a couple of hikers at Point 8,700, the only people I saw the whole day on the route. "Chiricahua National Monument Geology Footnotes", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chiricahua_Peak&oldid=1114269427, This page was last edited on 5 October 2022, at 17:10. The road segment to Long Park is rough, needing 4-wheel drive, but I took it slow and we arrived at Long Park in cool, clear conditions. Gain: 500 feet The Chiricahua Mountains dominate southeast Arizona. It was along this stretch I encountered the first of the treefall. v one dollar carving up the cabinet mts wilderness miners and freddies vs. The Apache, of course, wanted no part of this, and for the better part of 30 years, fought a guerrilla-style war against American explorers and settlers in this region. The mountains contain Precambrian basement rocks, Paleozoic and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks around a caldera complex formed by volcanic eruptions and intrusions 3525 million years ago. Past the campgrounds and trailheads at Rustler Park, we drove to the guard station buildings and found the gate to a lesser road leading to Long Park. I salvaged the day with a drive up the Coronado Highway and a visit to the Greenlee County Highpoint, plus a speeding ticket. Arizona This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Quality of the trail ranged from good to scant. Nearby homes similar to 10163 E Trailhead -- have recently sold between $350K to $660K at an average of $290 per square foot. From a distance, the range has a somewhat uniform appearance to it - Chiricahua Peak isn't reasily visible as it sits amid many other summits just a few hundred feet lower. A not well-maintained trail, not recommended. The region came into U.S. possession after the 1853 Gadsden Purchase, but the Chiricahuas, led by Chief Cochise, fought the settlers and military off and on for many years, reaching a tenuous peace in ~1872. This peak offers excellent scenic views. A talus field (with no trees) allowed for excellent views all the way down to the desert floor. The Apache, of course, wanted no part of this, and for the better part of 30 years, fought a guerrilla-style war against American explorers and settlers in this region. 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